36 Responses to Ballasting a point

Very good, but I use the normal method of filling in with ballst then dropping a solution of diluted PVA glue, mixed with a drop of washing up liquid, onto the ballast. The most important part is keeping the ballast away from the moving parts. Touch wood, I have never had any troubles.

An alternative way of doing it and okay if you only have a small to medium size layout with limited points. As it’s a bit time consuming if your building a club layout or a large staging yard, with 15 or 20 sets of points. As I have always found the old method 100% suitable, with diluted glue with a touch of the wife’s dishwashing detergent, to make it spread through the balast, then a few days later go over the points with a 2 inch paint brush to remave any loose balast. But whatever works is great and your method looks like it works okay, just a bit slow for me personally.

I have done it with glue and not had alot of problems but I have had to replace a turnout due to glue getting where I didnt want it. The method I use now and not had any problems is I put black electrical tape on the whole turnout facing up, but I do not put any under the switch bar. then I brush the ballast in the center of track and along the outer edge. The far outside edge I then use the glue method. Works eveytime with no problems.

I have just joined a railway club, two of the guys are laying around 12 points, they are stuck on how to ballast the points after watching your video, I will take the information from your video so they can get an idea of what to do.

Great tip. I am a beginner in model railroading. I love all of this great tips. I don’t think I will be adding ballast as I am using Bachman’s black track,but who knows what the future may hold. I am concentrating on an industrial layout; warehouses, oil refinery, coal and lumber, all on a 4 x 8 layout. I may not be able to get it all on, but I can always expand.

Alternatively, mark carefully where the tiebar assembly comes, remove the point, spread glue thinly, replace the point and pin in place, the glue will squish up slightly into the beds between the sleepers but without you accidentally brushing it onto the rail sides or foul of the moving blades, then ballast over the top.
If you ARE going to set your points down like rock into glued ballast, better check very carefully the wiring under the crossing beforehand – I have had a couple of Peco points suffer from loss of supply across the crossing due to ‘dry’ joints. A little soldering job if done first, a major excavation (or in my case some jury-rigged rewiring) if you find out too late.
Rod

Hello to all, and I do certainly enjoy reading the ideas, and tips from other modelers. Please keep them coming so all may learn and learn. If I may add an idea. Years ago I built a 4 x 6 layout using Bachman black set track and two ( points or switches ) on eitherside of layout. I carefully removed the trackwork ( including sleepers or ties ) from the black bases. iI then drilled 1/16 holes through the black plastic bases where power connectors were located. I used a light grey spray paint. From the hardware store, in a :/ aerisol spray can. Let dry overnightt Replaced trackwork into plastic base. I then used a number 1 artist paint brush and dabbed small black dabs of paint along sides and a few here and there around (points or switches)the small layout. I then gave the whole trackwork a spray cote od clear dull lacquer. Dull cote could be used instead. I cleand the railheads and around switches. After letting the layout dry and rest for three days. I continued on with the two structures, and rest of layout. This was just my way, to solve a problem. I do hope this helps in some small way. Michael C.

I have had occasional loss of ballast, and the cork shows through. I now paint the cork the same color as my ballast (or a shade darker), then lay track. Now if I loose a spot of ballast, it hardly shows, and I have time to repair it at a later date.

Have looked at some other Videos from Everard Junction, they are very good. A little intimidating as the quality is first rate. Ballasting makes me twitch! Ballasting points makes me shiver! Thanks for the video – great stuff!